NYC

NYC Record of the Month: Ghost King ‘Bones’ – live at Aviv tomorrow (04.08)

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Hailing from The Bronx and led by Spires’ drummer Carter McNeil, Ghost King plays muddy fuzz rock brightened by unexpected chord changes, psychedelic overtones, and a ’90s rock inspired lo-fi production that blends the fun attitude of Violent Femmes, the stellar songwriting of The Pixies and the slacking tendencies of Pavement. Early psych rock influences emerge here and there in their debut album ‘Bones‘ (check out the rather Barretesque ‘Bones pt. 1,’ or the chorus explosion of ‘When the Sky Turns blue‘ – streaming below), enriching the sonic palette in ways rarely accomplished, in a single record, without it sounding… all over the place. But beyond the familiar and beloved references to the past, what makes this album great is its consistently brilliant songwriting, and the band’s habit of taking the listener in and out of unexpected places, like for example with the dissonant riffs of ‘Skeleton Dance’ ‘s intro, which slowly morphs into a perfectly consonant verse, or through the bizarre development of ”Til You Belong to Me’ or ‘Bones pt. 2.’  

Don’t miss Ghost King’s show at Aviv, tomorrow April 8th.

San Francisco

Terry Malts Cruel Summer and Blades of Joy Play El Rio – 4/9

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Come to El Rio on Saturday, April 9th at 9pm to enjoy a vibey night of psychy, shoegazey, post-punk sounds from some essential San Francisco bands. Members of Dissolve and Swanox are coming together to perform their first show ever as Blades of Joy. The internet has literally nada on the project, so get there on time to watch (and listen to) the mystery unravel.

Cruel Summer will be playing as the middle band to the nights ensemble, swooping you up into their time capsule and transporting you along a stream of fuzzy dreamy pop vibrations and happy chord progressions to what might seam like the 80s but is actually the side room to a dive bar in Bernal, with a backyard where smoking is still welcome.Cruel Summer only recently stepped out from a brief hiatus to show face at this years noise pop festival, but they’re back at it again this weekend performing as a crucial leg to a killer lineup.

Bay Area OG’s Terry Malts will be closing out the night down there by the river, with some beloved pop-punk hits. These dudes have been busy releasing LPs, establishing a label, and writing an album since their last full length release, but it’s been three years since they delivered “Nobody Realizes This is Nowhere” and their fans are greedy. We. Want. More. The upcoming, untitled album is due sometime this year, and is rumored to be the album where the Malts get out of their funk, exactly what we think we want to hear from the boys, but what is it?! Who knows, another mystery that cannot be solved until after the sun sets this Saturday, April 9th at El Rio. –Julia deAnda

 

Philadelphia

New Music Video: “Floaty Feeling, Blue” – Weekender

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Director Jay Yachetta captures a panoramic perspective in Weekender’s new music video for the title-track off their latest EP Floaty Feeling, Blue (PaperCup Music). It utilizes textures of illumination as well as the broader picture to create a pleasant pensive state. Editor Ryan Putnam challenges the natural vibrancy, when an intense tonal change briefly triggers warping/curving of the imagery. The band will be performing in Philly on Saturday, July 9 at Johnny Brenda’s.

Toronto

HELLO HARVARD – VIDEO PREMIERE “FALLING FAST”

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Couple of young fellas here from Burlington, Ontario. Hello Harvard has been makin’ some local noise and stealin’ all the young girls hearts lately. Their EP "Silly Things" is set to be released in May. They sound like what would happen if a pop band from the 50’s had a baby with a pop band from the 90’s. They will be playing the Painted Lady on May 5th as part of Canadian Music Week. Here’s their debut video "Falling Fast".

 

Toronto

BILLY MOON – HAMMER GARAGE AT THE ‘SHOE!

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Hamilton has had some really good garage bands come through there in recent years but one that has sort of slid past my radar is Billy Moon. This guy has some really nice garage pop-rock goin on…really catchy melodies with fuzzed out guitars…it’s a perfect combo. They’re most recent release is an EP called "Young Adult". These fellas are worth listening to for sure. Have a listen to "Young Girls" to get a feel of what Billy Moon is all about. Then go see the band LIVE at the Horseshoe Tavern this Saturday Night. – Kris Gies

NYC

Aüva brings their dreaminess to O’Brien’s Pub on 4.11

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Listening to Aüva is like losing yourself in a photograph whose colors have faded under the sun. The brilliance is still there but it’s like walking through a hazy dream. From the sugary sweetness of the three piece harmonies and gum drop plops of the guitar in “Into Place” to the prithy drumming and twangy melancholy of the rhythm section in “Nothing Else,” Aüvas Light Years is an aural technicolor reverie dripped in nostalgic beauty. Losing ourselves in this sunburnt masterpiece was a breeze, and easing out of it left us longing it a little more. Prepare for cool summer nights with Light Years and catch Aüra perform at O’Brien’s Pub on Aprill 11. – Adriana S Ballester

NYC

Andrew Bird and Boogarins serenaded the 9:30, 4/5

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Last night was at the 9:30 club was a beautiful one. Opening the night was Brazilian psych rock group Boogarins. This quartet was fantastic, sounding like an otherworldly mix of CCR and Tame Impala. Capturing a bluesy guitar sound and mixing it with superb drumming, songbird vocals, and a penchant for atmospheric vocals, their show’s an experience worth having. They’re playing Ottobar tonight, 4/5, so get out and see a truly unique act!

Following up to headline was Andrew Bird, established folk pop virtuoso. Supporting his new albm, Are You Serious, he put his multiinstrumental prowess (violin, guitar, and whistling) on full display for a sold-out audience. Engaging, humorous, and packing a serious set of pipes, his music reached into the soul and emitted a warmth reminiscent of innocence and home. Check out his latest video below and I highly encourage listening to the new album. -Jonathan Goodwin

Austin

Deli Exclusive Premiere: Strange Mother Is the Smiley-est Band in Town in New ‘Blueberry’ Music Video

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Last time we brought you the wild and irreverent sounds of Austin’s Strange Mother, they were called Gormeh Sabzi and they were singin’ about the weird American fuckery that is Black Friday. Today though, the band has taken a slightly more easy-to-spell name, and they’ve put out what is certainly the happiest song about flies and maggots and blueberries that you’ll ever damn hear.

We’ve got the exclusive premiere of the video for the aptly-named “Blueberry” here for you at The Deli Austin today, and we’re pumped to bring you a track this sunny and spazzy to kick your summer off right. I mean, just look at those grins- Strange Mother must damn well be the best, most manic smilin’ band in town, and they make music to fit that image to a strange tee. These guys quite obviously know how to have a weird, fun time, and their version of punkish synthy rock with off-kilter song subjects is a pure distillation of the kinda oldschool Austin spirit that we love to see still rockin’ around this ole town.

Get on this new video below, get ready to have the spirit of good times pumped directly into your brainbox by Strange Mother and don’t be surprised if you find yourself chanting “Blue! Ber! Ry!” for the rest of the week. Oh, and make sure to peep the appearance of Strange Mother bassist Eric Peana, who is also the crooner half of our Artist of the Year for 2015, Capyac! Austin really is a small world y’all.

"I was a maggot, now I wanna lay my maggots!"

Nashville

Spliff Jacksun gets heady on “Sad Summer II”

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Have you ever been alone in a department store after hours? Things change after the lights go down. It’s almost imperceptible, yet every bit as impossible to ignore as it is to describe. The gravity feels a little different and the air takes on a sinister tension. It’s the same place you’ve been a million times before, but a change in time and perception tranforms it into an alien planet.

Sad Summer II from Spliff Jacksun is the music that plays on the half-busted PA somewhere up in the rafters of that department store. At times Sad Summer II is almost serene. At other times, it borders on maddening in the discomfort evoked by its dilapidated lo-fi rap beats. The only constant is a slightly skewed forward motion—a detuned synth here, a dragging snare hit you can never quite latch on to over there—that lodges itself in a part of your brain that you probably don’t tend to very often. Hit the stream below and get ready to check out a real weird headspace. –Austin Phy

Philadelphia

New Videos: Punks in Vegas Stripped Down Session – Beach Slang’s James Alex

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James Alex’s emotive songwriting takes center stage in his acoustic performance for Punks in Vegas Stripped Down Session. The Beach Slang frontman proves that whether in the spotlight with his full band or on a leather couch alone his songs resonate to the core of one’s desire for a bit of escapism. You’ll find some release with these bare-bones versions of "Too Late to Die Young," "Dirty Cigarettes," and "Ride The Wild Haze."